Often when many Northwest Vista College students leave, we may not hear of their success stories or how NVC played a role in their success.
However, we received a letter recently from NVC Alumnus Paul Hamilton. Paul had to go to an alternative high school after getting in trouble at his original school and eventually went to NVC when his financial aid kicked in. He was inspired to study engineering by NVC Math professor Dennis Gittinger. Remarkably Paul was just offered a full-time position with NASA – one of the premiere engineering organizations in the world.
Read this touching letter from Paul to motivate students on the Vista Blog here.
Also, Paul wrote this email to Dennis:
“Please know that your friendship and respect has helped me get to where I am today. I was a lost (very lost, actually) 17 year old when I met you and I had no plan. You made me realize my potential by treating me with respect and equality. Your silliness helped me become more comfortable with my own silliness.
You once remarked that your son was making more with a BS in electrical engineering than you were with a Ph.D. in Mathematics. That single conversation with you led me to getting my BS in electrical engineering. I assure you that is the truth because I was just explaining why I chose to study EE last night at a work function and I told them ‘my college algebra professor said that his son made more with a BS in EE than he did with a Ph.D. in Mathematics.’
Thank you for your continued service in helping people find their way. I consider myself very lucky to have had you for college algebra at Northwest Vista college back in the spring of 2011. You gave me hope, Dennis. Hope in myself. And that is something that very few people can help you obtain.”